Bom dia! Finally! We have a home we can call our own. We would like to invite yo to join our It'll Be Fun Patreon Crew. Just go to www.patreon.com/itllbefun Thanks for being here we truly appreciate your support.
This is so common in Portugal, and it's almost exactly our experience, down to the clown seller who asked for 20% more just before the closing. Since January, when we arrived in Portugal, we have been trying to buy a property-no mortgage, ready to pay-and we are now trying to sign the CPCV on the 4th property we are considering. Ten months have passed, residential property purchases have been eliminated, NHR will terminate on December 31, and the Portuguese owners and amatore-developers are still dreaming of getting rich overnight from foreigners in a market ready to burst. The best thing we did was to retain an attorney as soon as we started the process. Attempting to buy a property in Portugal without your own attorney is a dangerous gamble. I am a retired architect, and I can only imagine the issues to be encountered when dealing with trades and contractors when they know that you are a captive "client"... from away. I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. You have some good points. Yes, we were able to purchase the best option for our needs. Obrigado Alan, Leslie and Wolf
My brother bought two houses one is apartment the other is getting rebuilt my sister bought two houses and they both had no problems and they still are living in the Hamptons New York it was a straight forward thing just like buying back home in the USA if anything they found the whole process way easier than when they bought their homes on long Island and yup also bought multiple properties on LI😂😂😂😂
When we bought our apartment in UK, were had the little chicken tiles in the kitchen. For those of you who are British, you might know what I'm talking about. 😁
I and my wife Anna follow Your journey since a longer time and are grateful for your shared experiences. We wish You the best for Your flat and for Your ongoing adventures.
Bom dia birdynumnum Nice to gear from you. Sometimes we think we should go faster but we do not have it. Yes, it is colorful right now. Fingers crossed they will work out a good solution for everyone. Thanks for your support. Have a wonderful day Alan
Congratulations, Alan and Leslie! What a journey you've been on. Every one of your videos I watch, I'm more anxious to begin my own journey! Thank you for sharing!! Tchau!
Bom dia David Muito Obrigado. We appreciate your support. The journey has truly been a lot of fun. Some parts more difficult than others but we have learned so much along the way. Have a wonderful day Alan
Wow congratulations guys, we are very happy for you :) I remember meeting Claudia she was very helpful unfortunately we could not find anything in our budget during our stay in Madeira. Cannot wait to see the progress of your renovation.
Wow! A very captivating video. Enjoyed the way you narrated the story with the ups and downs of living life as it unfolds. Really helpful for those of us dreaming about doing something similar. The video footage was breadth taking!
What a great vlog. I wish I had your patience when it came realestate. I tended to pull out all of the strings and sometimes my efforts haven't been rewarded. I will look forward to watching how you get along. Nothing wrong with the kitchen. I am sure it will work well. You can always paint over the teacups with tile paint.
We had a similar strange situation in our process of buying in Portugal...we offered full asking price, told to wait a week before response and then counter offered with a 30,000 euro increase. I was shocked and of course said no thank you. In the end the whole situation worked out perfectly because the agent had a listing that was about to go on the market and we ended up buying that one. Happy to have found your channel. We're now in the process of buying a vacation property in Spain. :)
I recognize your new location. Welcome to the East Coast. Wow the home purchasing process seems to be so different here than in America. Much more uncertainty it seems. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Very exciting! I trust this will be a wonderful home for your family. While the real estate process is different here, I'd imagine your experienced in real estate has prepared you well for recognizing when a property "was just not meant to be." It is so easy to get emotionally wrapped up in the possibilities of a place before the keys have been handed over. I appreciate your optimism and patience through the process.
Ola Alexander It is easy to get wrapped up as you know. However it is freeing to understand it is a house until you make it a home and we can make a home anyway. Life is short! Enjoy the journey. Have a wonderful day, Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Parabéns You Guys! I admire your patience and diligence. That is going to be a fantastic home, even though you're opting to forgo the teacup tiles. 😂 Looking forward to seeing the exciting adventure ahead as the house is transformed into your home.
Dang, definitely not going to give those Cali prices I am figuring on just renting long term - Congrats on your new home away form home I know things will even get better now that you have your new nest
I admire your Zen-like attitude, always choosing to move on when realising some properties are simply not meant to be. Congrats on finally finding your dream home. I reckon it is in Santa Cruz from the clip?
Congratulations 🎉 What a journey you've been on. My husband and I were both born in Portugal but our families moved to Canada when we were very young. We've recently gotten our paperwork in order (Portuguese passports, BI's and Nif's) in order to apply for a mortgage and purchase a property. We had thought to get in touch with agents and attempt to purchase a property while on our 4 week vacation. We're setting ourselves up for early retirement in 10 years. Watching your journey has certainly been a reality check 😢 We won't give up so easily though. Can you share the contact info for your agent if you don’t mind.
Ola Cecilia, Congrats! We would love to have you work with one of our trusted Real estate agents. They do a great job. The company can easily help on the mainland as well. Contact Claudia Ribeiro at email claudia.ribeiro@imocabrera.com she will set up a video call to get you started and allow to to ask questions. They also can help with the mortgage as well. We have two different upcoming video meetups next week the first one is about buying and renting real estate in Portugal it is on the 16th and the second one is about planning your move overseas on the 20th. Full details and links to join us are listed in our Patreon www.patreon.com/itllbefun Both are at 7pm Madeira island time with all details listed in our Patreon. Link for the 16th click here meet.google.com/gfz-ahty-rpi Link for the 20th click here meet.google.com/cdq-ijdp-avt We truly hope you will join us. Have a wonderful day Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Sounds like a plan. We host Happy Hours every couple weeks. We would love for you to join us. They are always posted in our Patreon www.patreon.com/itllbefun We also send then out monthly in our newsletter You cans IGN up at www.itllbefunretirement.com
Bom dia! Happy for you guys! Hope the construction goes well! We will be closing on our town house in Água de Pena next week! Thanks for all the great info and hope to meet again soon!
9:40 Great News, very happy for you all. Will watch with interest your forthcoming improvements. Will be in Madeira in 4 weeks. God bless, take care. Lyndax
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. Not a very common thing to do, for sure! We're making it up as we go. Thanks again Alan, Leslie and Wolf
The real estate market in Portugal is fast. Prices are very inflated, perhaps due to the huge demand, a lot of emigrants from Brazil, the United States, France and other countries wanting to come here, this inflates prices and makes it difficult even for nationals. Real estate agencies think that all foreigners are full of money and they also increase prices. Nationals look for cities, for reasons of employment, in the interior there is more supply and cheaper, but we have a multitude of very degraded properties that are of no interest to nationals, as they are in places where there are no jobs. We have hundreds of almost deserted villages, but the properties are very old and dilapidated. Many sales do not even go through real estate agents as they charge too much, but only those who know people and are integrated have knowledge, information passes by word of mouth, not through ERA, Imovirtual, Idealista or Remax, or through the dozens of small real estate agencies. But that's where you get the best prices.... Choose the location, go to the small supermarket, the cafe, the barber and ask if they know any houses for sale...
Congratulations! This part of your adventure will have a beautiful ending: a place to call home! By the way, I believe tiles can be painted if those blue teacups are not working- we also had a friend cover her tiles with peel and stick ones.
Question - “You should have gotten a mortgage while you were still in the US.” On a foreign property with a U.S. mortgage? Or a Portuguese mortgage? I was always under the impression that you couldn’t get a US mortgage for a foreign property. In Ecuador, where I live, the local mortgage rates are solid double digits. And if you’re talking a Portuguese mortgage, what are their rates? Nice video. Thanks.
Bom dia Friscoeddie Good question. It would have had to be a vacation house mortgage done in Portugal. The rates would be alittle higher than a primary property mortgage. But worth it for our situation. The rates are currently high but always better than the USA. Thanks for sharing our journey with us. Alan
We arrived in Madeira bought a home in 48 hours moved in 3 months later and carried out light renovation with local tradesman with no issues or problems. Living amongst local people and asking them to help us find tradesman was the simple answer. In our experience the tradesman worked exceptionally hard, do a good job and charge a fair local rate. We have a fantastic home and lifestyle best decision we could have made.
Hi there, I just came across your channel. I bought my first home a year ago in Greece, I am legally blind, and thankfully for me the process was quite easy and I found a very good realtor who was on my side from the beginning. I had been renting and grease previously, and the landlady was taking advantage of me because of my disability. Anyway, it hasn’t always been an easy year, we were hit by those very big floods back in September, but I am slowly getting used to it. Although now I have just been hit by banking issues in the UK, who want to close foreigners banks down if they’re not living in the UK. So this will be my next adventure. 10:16
Ola emaildavenam Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you have finally gotten settled into your own property which brings a feeling of safety. We hope you will continue to listen and sharing your journey. Have a wonderful day Alan
Jost got back from the beautiful island.. so beautiful, I‘ll def. come back. What part of island did you find your new home and for what price would be interesting to know… thnx and all the best for the renovations 🙌🏽
Might you or anyone reading this know if I will lose my SSDI if I move to Portugal? SS site appears to say no. Others say absolutely. My SSDI amount will be reduced to what I would get on SS
Olá! You may want to schedule a call at the SS office to ask. We know someone who hasn't. But do not know why. It would be best if you spoke with the SS office.
Bom dia! Yes, a foreigner can buy property in Portugal. You need to have a NIF and A Portuguese bank account. To get thoose you can contact Bordr. Here is our affiliate link bordr.com/portugal/nif?via=itllbefun Also our real estate agent is Claudia Ribeiro email Claudia Ribeiro We put these contacts in the description of all of our videos. If you use one of our trusted vendors please let them know we sent you. Have a wonderful day, Alan
Congratulations 🎉 your story sounds like our story...always too late even if the property just appears on idealista or other sites... buying property in Madeira proves quite frustrating 😢 Suprised to aee many people had a smooth experience as no matter what we di it dowsnt work as our budget is not bad...we must be picking wronf properties....
Olá moneysavinggirl We understand your pain. We really do believe that the ones we didn't get were not going to work out for us anyway. Depending on the price level you are shopping in, it get be even more difficult. A lower price range means they are not only more regular folks looking for a property but investors with plenty of cash to work with.
Hello, we are also want to start a journej on buying a property in Portugal probably Madeira island. I would really appreciate and be grateful if you could share some information regarding on buying an appartment. What are current prices ? Is it possible to get a mortgage for a eu citizen? How much own money do we need to even start the procedure? What to avoid ?
Olá! We have multiple videos covering these subjects I will link a few. We also invite you to join our Patreon monthly meet up group this is where we talk about these things as a group. www.patreon.com/itllbefun Or set up a one to one call. Video links: ruclips.net/video/3eUQEwon92A/видео.htmlsi=NjaBQxxWubilQyLx ruclips.net/video/izHxN2X8c8I/видео.htmlsi=B33Y2sPW7NzgfPc- ruclips.net/video/zkPpngFRFCo/видео.htmlsi=eYOg9yLLnP0oKmRC This is the best ruclips.net/video/uApNgmCCxbQ/видео.htmlsi=v7-Evq11N7GHpeKt
It is simple to get to the mainland. With easy travel throughout Europe. The island has great weather and 1000's of hiking trails. There are many reasons.
Hi Alan. So you guys already living in Madeira for 2 years? Does that mean you are keeping up with my comment for 2 years already? What a pain...😁 We wish you the best of luck for the new adventure which is finding trustworthy builders.
Hello! We are European citizens and for us will be a little bit easier with formalities. Just for our curiosity, what was your budget? We have something around 100k €. Thank you!
Do let us know what you paid. Our family house in Ponta do Sol only got valued at about 40 thousand Euros which is less than the Cheapest tesla in the UK. Im thinking that for that money I might as well pay off my brothers and sisters since one day I might want to return. Are you guys renting at the moment?
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. In time we will disclose the information you requested. Renting until we move in. Obrigado Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Sometimes property is passed on to relatives that don't want it. And then becomes neglected. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. Alan, Leslie and Wolf
How would one go about obtaining a mortgage before leaving the US in Portugal? I would like to get something that isn't expensive but only needs cosmetic work. It seems like its hard to find contractors to do the work. Is that true?
Bom dia lostcausel Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. You would have to get a mortgage for a vacation house. It would be done here in Portugal, Claudia's team can help you get started to see if it is something you would like. The rates would be a little higher but for us that would have worked out fine. Claudia's email Claudia Ribeiro As for contractors. We have a good one. We think. Once we have completed our renovation we will let everyone know how it went. Hope this helps. Have a wonderful day, Alan
Hi , thank you for sharing and congratulation for your new home. I am new to your channel so I have a question - How is the cost of living there compared with your life in the US , and why did you chose this island and not a Greece one ?
Ola dovoso, Great questions. Here is the 'why' video. We chose Portugal long before we looked at Greece but before we purchased we went to Greece in case we wanted to change our minds. We also think it is worth looking at the South of France. Have a wonderful day Alan
Congratulations! My wife and I finally made the move to Portugal! We are finalizing our visa with AIMA soon and plan to visit Madeira for the first time, too. We are so excited to be here.
🎉 enjoy your new abode for many many years to come! (Interested to see the place after you move in) Certainly you had quite a journey to get to this place and inspiring to see how well you approached all the hurdles. All the best!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We can hardly wait to see what it is to become. We will be very happy. Thanks again Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Hi Guys.i married a lady from Funchal.we are in the UK at the moment. Be interesting to know if you will be joining a US social group as i believe there are many Us citizens relocating to Maderia.
Olá! We are glad you are here. Your question is difficult to answer. The style, condition, size and area a 3 bedroom house will be very different based upon your needs. Here in Madeira in a neighborhood you may find a 3 bedroom for 450k and another right door for 2m. Sorry. But if you contact Claudia our real estate agent +351 967 440 896 she can help you with finding something for you. Hope this helps. Alan
But I thought Madeira was EXPENSIVE compared to the mainland and you guys are on an extreme budget. That is why I'm looking at central Portugal, am I wrong? Are there affordable places on Madeira??
Ola Lilly Central Portugal is cheaper than Madeira. You can find places in Madeira it just depends on your price range, your needs and you must have patience. Merry Christmas!
I had originally given this vlog the thumbs up! However halfway through I had to remove it and by the end gave it thumbs down due to not providing prices of properties and offered so I found this somewhat shifty😅 Just like something a real estate person would do!
Congratulations! I hope the rest of the remodeling will go well. Not sure how the stairwell is going to be properly done. Should be interesting. My husband Sam and I are handling the paperwork in order to retire to Portugal in the Summer of 2024. However, we are in a major limbo as to what to do since it appears the NHR may no longer be available. I cannot see us paying that much in taxes in addition to what we are paying in the USA. I will be officially retired in June and hoping to be in Portugal in July. Otherwise, we may have to look into Italy, Spain or Greece. However, I do love Portugal. Sam and I have enjoyed so much watching your videos the last two years. Congrats again to you and your family.
Ola Guys, Thank you for your support. There are some options, understanding the USA tax law and deductions that you may qualify for. We reccomend that you contact a US EXPAT tax attorney as well as a Portuguese one. We highly recommend our Portuguese tax attorney and you can set up a video call now. That way you can start understanding how you may or may not be able to get your funds in line and still move to Portugal. Her contact is listed on our vendor listing which is available on our Patreon www.patreon.com/itllbefun as well as on our website www.itllbefunretirement.com We have a free video live stream about Buying and Renting Real Estate on the 16th and a free video live stream on the 20th about Planning Your Move Overseas. Both are at 7pm Madeira island time with all details listed in our Patreon. Link for the 16th click here meet.google.com/gfz-ahty-rpi Link for the 20th click here meet.google.com/cdq-ijdp-avt We hope you will join us. Have a wonderful day, Alan, Leslie and Wolf
We had very similar experiences in Croatia, including giving an offer and receiving a counter offer at 25% above asking. We declined and moved on. That was 2 years ago and the property has not sold to this day.
Wish that so many Americans and Canadian would have walked away from houses that where way to expensive for them and know stuck in a night mare . You where mend to find your dream even if it was a long journey . Happy for you.
4:31 the offer was rejected because you came with your own real estate agent, which means the selling agent needs to split the margin 50/50. It's common to be ignored if you come with your own real estate agent.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We will be happy in our new place....until the next new place. Such is life. Thanks Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Sounds like the supply is much lower than somewhere like Spain. I've been looking in Spain has a lot of new construction contemporary style houses. I don't know Portugal well but it seems like everyone's greedy trying to get rich. 🙃
Lived and worked on the Island 2005/06. I remember the famous tethered balloon on Funchal sea front. I looked at property back then. All seemed well constructed. You appear to have bought a 20 year old resale. Or bank repossession. Normal a new old property as you mentioned time warp 20 years old. About the time I was there! Good luck. It's a beautiful island
Congratulations on your lovely new home, Alan, Leslie, and Wolf! I think you made a wise decision to purchase a 20-year-old apartment that needs finishing as opposed to a total fixer upper. Everything is looking up for you all as you have another 8 years to go of NHR tax breaks. The one thing I was wondering is what will Wolf do once he turns 26 years old? Will he have to return to the U.S. or will he assume control of It'll Be Fun, LLC and apply for a D8 visa for himself?
Congratulations at buying your new home! It isn't always easy adjusting to new environments. People don't always act as you expect them to, as your attempts to buy property show. The most important attribute in such a situation is not determination, but patience. I think you were correct to walk away from the uncomfortable property purchase situations you described. Unfortunately, greed is everywhere. It takes time to mentally adjust to living in a new country. As I have said before, we moved from Canada to Norway in 1980. As foreigners, some practices seem strange at first, but after a few years one learns to accept, and then to adapt. From my perspective, the first mistake many immigrants make is an unwillingness to accept that rules and circumstances are different. They are offended to learn that, as foreigners, they may not be eligible for the same benefits granted to citizens. It took us years to save up enough to afford a down payment. We lived in three different places in Norway. Five years in one location, three in another almost 1 000 km further north. Then we moved about 600 km south, to where we live now, which is almost 400 km north of our first location. We have only owned one house. We rented a smaller cabin beside this house at first, when I celebrated my 40th birthday, in 1988. Then, six months later we rented this larger house. A year after that the owner died, and we bought it from his estate some months after that. The house was built in 1963. When built the maximum allowed house size was 100 square meters, on the main floor. Ours was 90. When rules relaxed, a new owner added an extra 15 square meters. Mortgage interest rates at the beginning of the 1990s were almost 15%. It was expedient for us to pay off our mortgage as quickly as possible. It took us five years, and in that time we paid almost as much in interest as we did on the principal. After that, whenever something needed to be done, we would save up first. I have done most of the construction work myself, not just to save money, but because I enjoy building construction. The latest change has been the kitchen. For the first time in our lives, and at 75 years of age, we have modern appliances, including an induction cooktop and a dishwasher. Yet, what I appreciate most about the remodelled kitchen is its brightness, especially the yellow linoleum flooring. This is important because in winter, we can have over 20 hours of darkness. I have visited Portugal four times, including two work related trips. We discussed moving to Madeira, when we retired at the end of 2016 (just after I turned 68). We realized on this first trip as retirees, in 2017, that we would not be able to adjust to another completely different system. It took us years to accept how things worked in Norway. We decided that it was more comfortable, emotionally, to put up with the winter cold and darkness, than to adjust to something different.
Ola Brock, We love your the stories about your life and experiences. Thank you for sharing. Aren't we glad that mortgage rates haven't gone back to 15%. The young people all over the world are already terrified of 6&7% rates. We are glad they don't have to tell stories about their first mortgage rate being 15%. The remodeled kitchen sounds great! It can sometimes be different in a new country but to your point it is best to understand that different does not mean bad. Have a wonderful day, Alan and Leslie
So happy for the both of you. CONGRATULATIONS let the games begin. Can’t wait to see your place when it’s all done. BTW how is your progression with Portuguese coming along? All the best and Happy Thanksgiving……🤗🇨🇦
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel . And for your kind words. Our new place will be awesome! We need to buckle down and do better with Portuguese lessons. Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Great purchase Guys. !00 meters away from one of the best beaches on Madeira... And 100 meters away from the airport. Great find and i hope the remo goes as planned. Soon you'll be living in your own space confortably. Waiting for the open day tour/video... 😀
Thanks Mike for watching and supporting our channel. We think it is an amazing little town. We will keep making videos to show the progress. Thanks again Alan, Leslie and Wolf
I'm from Madeira from Santa Cruz where my mother still lives road that goes up to Santo da Serra road up airport . I live many years in UK from 1999 until 2018/19 and I did return back to Portugal where after many trying to find a house I bought one in Sintra centre. And I'm very happy for you that manage to buy a house in Madeira enjoy the new house and the island . Best wishes and all the best .🥰🥰 Bem vindo a Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, good place, nice beach, near the airport and via rápida. Not to far from Funchal. Glad to see that You are staying in Portugal. I was already thinking that you were moving to Greece or Italy 😂
Ola MR0000 Thanks. We are glad we get to stay as well. We were worried we would not find anything in our price range. Thanks for your support. Have a wonderful day, Alan
Great video! Congratulations, my main concern in Madeira would be the difficult airplane landings that Madeira is famous for. How was your experience landing in Madeira?
Ola LIMUBAI Thank you! We always here about people saying the landings are difficult. We have never had an issue and love the views when the plane comes in. It is all part of the adventure! Thanks for watching. Have a wonderful day, Alan
We love Madeira. People are super courteous and friendly. The atmosphere is quite the opposite from the states and people were not hustling and bustling
Lived at Lajes Field on Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal. Loved it there. No one wanted to go there but once there no one wanted to leave. The Portuguese people are great!!! Also visited San Miguel Island in the Azores and Lisbon twice. Could see myself living in the Azores or Portugal. Have never made it to Madeira however.
Bom dia WACATX767882 Sounds like you have wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing. If you ever get the chance Madeira will not disappoint. Have a wonderful day Alan
Always heard good things about Madeira Island. Is a car necessary or is there good public transportation for tourists who prefer to not drive? Obrigado in advance
Did I understand you are financing the purchase or are you all cash? You are my age and I was told financing at our age in Portugal was not going to fly.
Congratulations you guys!!! What wonderful and exciting news on long journey. Dea and I can't wait to hear more about your new home on Monday at Hoya Hoya!! Congrats again, Al&Dea Marcano
Congratulations you guys! It sure must be an interesting journey being a US realtor and watching how it is done in another country. I'm a broker here in the US and I am navigating the real estate market in Romania. I can either let it frustrate me or I can simply relax and enjoy the new experience. I have chosen to have fun with it!!
Bom dia! Finally! We have a home we can call our own. We would like to invite yo to join our It'll Be Fun Patreon Crew. Just go to www.patreon.com/itllbefun Thanks for being here we truly appreciate your support.
This is so common in Portugal, and it's almost exactly our experience, down to the clown seller who asked for 20% more just before the closing. Since January, when we arrived in Portugal, we have been trying to buy a property-no mortgage, ready to pay-and we are now trying to sign the CPCV on the 4th property we are considering. Ten months have passed, residential property purchases have been eliminated, NHR will terminate on December 31, and the Portuguese owners and amatore-developers are still dreaming of getting rich overnight from foreigners in a market ready to burst. The best thing we did was to retain an attorney as soon as we started the process. Attempting to buy a property in Portugal without your own attorney is a dangerous gamble. I am a retired architect, and I can only imagine the issues to be encountered when dealing with trades and contractors when they know that you are a captive "client"... from away. I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. You have some good points. Yes, we were able to purchase the best option for our needs.
Obrigado
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Purchased property in March of 2022 and had a pleasant experience, not headaches, paper work went well.
My brother bought two houses one is apartment the other is getting rebuilt my sister bought two houses and they both had no problems and they still are living in the Hamptons New York it was a straight forward thing just like buying back home in the USA if anything they found the whole process way easier than when they bought their homes on long Island and yup also bought multiple properties on LI😂😂😂😂
We had no issues once we found the correct place for us.
Ola antoniodasilva,
Thanks for sharing we are glad that the purchases worked out well. Have a wonderful day!
Congratulations ! Glad to hear that you made this step.The blue tiles with tea cups will come back again into fashion soon 😉
Ha, ha! Yes, soon... very soon...
When we bought our apartment in UK, were had the little chicken tiles in the kitchen. For those of you who are British, you might know what I'm talking about. 😁
I and my wife Anna follow Your journey since a longer time and are grateful for your shared experiences. We wish You the best for Your flat and for Your ongoing adventures.
Ola artianmor
Thank you for watching and supporting us during our journey. We appreciate it. Thank you for the well wishes.
Have a fantastic day,
Alan
Live long and prosper, as a famous star-traveling Vulcan once said. Many congratulations to you and your family as you have more than earned it.
Bom dia birdynumnum
Nice to gear from you. Sometimes we think we should go faster but we do not have it.
Yes, it is colorful right now. Fingers crossed they will work out a good solution for everyone. Thanks for your support.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
Congratulations!!!. We wish you Good Luck with getting the units completed in time to your desires and finally a place to call it Your Home.
It will happen, and be awesome. And home.
Thanks for your continued support.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations, Alan and Leslie! What a journey you've been on. Every one of your videos I watch, I'm more anxious to begin my own journey! Thank you for sharing!! Tchau!
Bom dia David
Muito Obrigado. We appreciate your support. The journey has truly been a lot of fun. Some parts more difficult than others but we have learned so much along the way.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
Wow congratulations guys, we are very happy for you :) I remember meeting Claudia she was very helpful unfortunately we could not find anything in our budget during our stay in Madeira. Cannot wait to see the progress of your renovation.
Ola felizpete
Thank you! Yes it toolmus a while. But it all worked out in the end.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
Wow! A very captivating video. Enjoyed the way you narrated the story with the ups and downs of living life as it unfolds. Really helpful for those of us dreaming about doing something similar. The video footage was breadth taking!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We appreciate it. Good luck on your journey.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
What a great vlog. I wish I had your patience when it came realestate. I tended to pull out all of the strings and sometimes my efforts haven't been rewarded. I will look forward to watching how you get along. Nothing wrong with the kitchen. I am sure it will work well. You can always paint over the teacups with tile paint.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We will have updated videos on our new place as we go.
Thanks again
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
We had a similar strange situation in our process of buying in Portugal...we offered full asking price, told to wait a week before response and then counter offered with a 30,000 euro increase. I was shocked and of course said no thank you. In the end the whole situation worked out perfectly because the agent had a listing that was about to go on the market and we ended up buying that one. Happy to have found your channel. We're now in the process of buying a vacation property in Spain. :)
Thanks for sharing your experiences. And for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
I recognize your new location. Welcome to the East Coast. Wow the home purchasing process seems to be so different here than in America. Much more uncertainty it seems. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Very exciting! I trust this will be a wonderful home for your family. While the real estate process is different here, I'd imagine your experienced in real estate has prepared you well for recognizing when a property "was just not meant to be." It is so easy to get emotionally wrapped up in the possibilities of a place before the keys have been handed over. I appreciate your optimism and patience through the process.
Ola Alexander
It is easy to get wrapped up as you know. However it is freeing to understand it is a house until you make it a home and we can make a home anyway. Life is short!
Enjoy the journey.
Have a wonderful day,
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
The kitchen you showed in the apartment was not dated. It looked plain and simple and useful and new. Could not have been better.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We appreciate it.
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Parabéns You Guys! I admire your patience and diligence. That is going to be a fantastic home, even though you're opting to forgo the teacup tiles. 😂 Looking forward to seeing the exciting adventure ahead as the house is transformed into your home.
Dang, definitely not going to give those Cali prices I am figuring on just renting long term - Congrats on your new home away form home I know things will even get better now that you have your new nest
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. Pleased to have found the best option for us.
Its a loooooong way to find what you want... but in the end the way does not matter anymore :)... Greetings from Santana
It's been a journey, but fun. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
I admire your Zen-like attitude, always choosing to move on when realising some properties are simply not meant to be. Congrats on finally finding your dream home. I reckon it is in Santa Cruz from the clip?
Exactly! If it's meant to be, it will.
We will be very happy in Santa Cruz.
Obrigado
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations on your new home. It 'll be a New Adventure so that you'll became resident Madeirenses !
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We can't wait to be home.
Thanks again
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congrats!
Thanks!!!
Congratulations 🎉 What a journey you've been on. My husband and I were both born in Portugal but our families moved to Canada when we were very young. We've recently gotten our paperwork in order (Portuguese passports, BI's and Nif's) in order to apply for a mortgage and purchase a property. We had thought to get in touch with agents and attempt to purchase a property while on our 4 week vacation. We're setting ourselves up for early retirement in 10 years. Watching your journey has certainly been a reality check 😢 We won't give up so easily though. Can you share the contact info for your agent if you don’t mind.
Ola Cecilia,
Congrats! We would love to have you work with one of our trusted Real estate agents. They do a great job. The company can easily help on the mainland as well. Contact Claudia Ribeiro at email claudia.ribeiro@imocabrera.com she will set up a video call to get you started and allow to to ask questions. They also can help with the mortgage as well.
We have two different upcoming video meetups next week the first one is about buying and renting real estate in Portugal it is on the 16th and the second one is about planning your move overseas on the 20th. Full details and links to join us are listed in our Patreon www.patreon.com/itllbefun
Both are at 7pm Madeira island time with all details listed in our Patreon.
Link for the 16th click here meet.google.com/gfz-ahty-rpi
Link for the 20th click here meet.google.com/cdq-ijdp-avt
We truly hope you will join us.
Have a wonderful day
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congrats!!!! 🎉🎊🍾🎈
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel!
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Thank you so much for this video Sir!!!!!... ❤
Most welcome!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations
We are in Santa Cruz for breakfast 3 times a week will keep an eye out for you to buy you guys a coffee
Sounds like a plan. We host Happy Hours every couple weeks. We would love for you to join us.
They are always posted in our Patreon www.patreon.com/itllbefun
We also send then out monthly in our newsletter You cans IGN up at www.itllbefunretirement.com
Bom dia! Happy for you guys! Hope the construction goes well! We will be closing on our town house in Água de Pena next week! Thanks for all the great info and hope to meet again soon!
Thanks for the continued support of our channel. We'll keep updating as we go along with the process.
Thanks again
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
9:40 Great News, very happy for you all. Will watch with interest your forthcoming improvements. Will be in Madeira in 4 weeks. God bless, take care. Lyndax
Hope to see you on the island!
i absolutely adore people who have the chutzpah to pick up everything and drift with the wind. bravo!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. Not a very common thing to do, for sure! We're making it up as we go.
Thanks again
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations
Obrigado
The real estate market in Portugal is fast. Prices are very inflated, perhaps due to the huge demand, a lot of emigrants from Brazil, the United States, France and other countries wanting to come here, this inflates prices and makes it difficult even for nationals. Real estate agencies think that all foreigners are full of money and they also increase prices. Nationals look for cities, for reasons of employment, in the interior there is more supply and cheaper, but we have a multitude of very degraded properties that are of no interest to nationals, as they are in places where there are no jobs. We have hundreds of almost deserted villages, but the properties are very old and dilapidated. Many sales do not even go through real estate agents as they charge too much, but only those who know people and are integrated have knowledge, information passes by word of mouth, not through ERA, Imovirtual, Idealista or Remax, or through the dozens of small real estate agencies. But that's where you get the best prices.... Choose the location, go to the small supermarket, the cafe, the barber and ask if they know any houses for sale...
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. And for sharing your thoughts and information.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Look how CLEAN the country is ---- europeans does have pride
The island is amazingly clean.
Congratulations! This part of your adventure will have a beautiful ending: a place to call home!
By the way, I believe tiles can be painted if those blue teacups are not working- we also had a friend cover her tiles with peel and stick ones.
It's all part of the fun! Blue teacups included!!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Question - “You should have gotten a mortgage while you were still in the US.” On a foreign property with a U.S. mortgage? Or a Portuguese mortgage? I was always under the impression that you couldn’t get a US mortgage for a foreign property. In Ecuador, where I live, the local mortgage rates are solid double digits. And if you’re talking a Portuguese mortgage, what are their rates? Nice video. Thanks.
Bom dia Friscoeddie
Good question. It would have had to be a vacation house mortgage done in Portugal. The rates would be alittle higher than a primary property mortgage. But worth it for our situation. The rates are currently high but always better than the USA.
Thanks for sharing our journey with us.
Alan
We arrived in Madeira bought a home in 48 hours moved in 3 months later and carried out light renovation with local tradesman with no issues or problems.
Living amongst local people and asking them to help us find tradesman was the simple answer. In our experience the tradesman worked exceptionally hard, do a good job and charge a fair local rate.
We have a fantastic home and lifestyle best decision we could have made.
Olá Bernard
Madeira Portugal is wonderful. We love it as well. Thanks for sharing your story.
E que belo sítio para comprar casa! 😁
Muito obrigado
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Hi there, I just came across your channel. I bought my first home a year ago in Greece, I am legally blind, and thankfully for me the process was quite easy and I found a very good realtor who was on my side from the beginning. I had been renting and grease previously, and the landlady was taking advantage of me because of my disability. Anyway, it hasn’t always been an easy year, we were hit by those very big floods back in September, but I am slowly getting used to it. Although now I have just been hit by banking issues in the UK, who want to close foreigners banks down if they’re not living in the UK. So this will be my next adventure. 10:16
Ola emaildavenam
Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you have finally gotten settled into your own property which brings a feeling of safety.
We hope you will continue to listen and sharing your journey.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
This process sounds like a big hassle, and not fun. You should change the name of your channel to Itllbeheadache
It's all part of the fun!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan
Jost got back from the beautiful island.. so beautiful, I‘ll def. come back. What part of island did you find your new home and for what price would be interesting to know… thnx and all the best for the renovations 🙌🏽
We chose Santa Cruz. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. More to come on the reno.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
@@ItllBeFun nice, we had our stay in Canico and the east has def. some beautiful areas too 🙌🏽
Congratulations on your new home! Wishing you all and your channel a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Track Us Down! 🎄
Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Wishing you all the best in the new year.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Might you or anyone reading this know if I will lose my SSDI if I move to Portugal? SS site appears to say no. Others say absolutely. My SSDI amount will be reduced to what I would get on SS
Olá! You may want to schedule a call at the SS office to ask. We know someone who hasn't. But do not know why. It would be best if you spoke with the SS office.
Nice, so usa citizenship can buy real estate in Madeira? Can you explain this process or direct me to the info. Thank you Pat
Bom dia!
Yes, a foreigner can buy property in Portugal. You need to have a NIF and A Portuguese bank account.
To get thoose you can contact Bordr. Here is our affiliate link bordr.com/portugal/nif?via=itllbefun
Also our real estate agent is Claudia Ribeiro email Claudia Ribeiro
We put these contacts in the description of all of our videos. If you use one of our trusted vendors please let them know we sent you.
Have a wonderful day,
Alan
Congratulations 🎉 your story sounds like our story...always too late even if the property just appears on idealista or other sites... buying property in Madeira proves quite frustrating 😢 Suprised to aee many people had a smooth experience as no matter what we di it dowsnt work as our budget is not bad...we must be picking wronf properties....
Olá moneysavinggirl
We understand your pain. We really do believe that the ones we didn't get were not going to work out for us anyway.
Depending on the price level you are shopping in, it get be even more difficult. A lower price range means they are not only more regular folks looking for a property but investors with plenty of cash to work with.
Hello, we are also want to start a journej on buying a property in Portugal probably Madeira island. I would really appreciate and be grateful if you could share some information regarding on buying an appartment. What are current prices ? Is it possible to get a mortgage for a eu citizen? How much own money do we need to even start the procedure? What to avoid ?
Olá! We have multiple videos covering these subjects I will link a few. We also invite you to join our Patreon monthly meet up group this is where we talk about these things as a group. www.patreon.com/itllbefun
Or set up a one to one call.
Video links: ruclips.net/video/3eUQEwon92A/видео.htmlsi=NjaBQxxWubilQyLx
ruclips.net/video/izHxN2X8c8I/видео.htmlsi=B33Y2sPW7NzgfPc-
ruclips.net/video/zkPpngFRFCo/видео.htmlsi=eYOg9yLLnP0oKmRC
This is the best
ruclips.net/video/uApNgmCCxbQ/видео.htmlsi=v7-Evq11N7GHpeKt
Please tell me why madeira? Is a very limited place... Kind of boring as well.... the Only public access is by airline...
It is simple to get to the mainland. With easy travel throughout Europe. The island has great weather and 1000's of hiking trails. There are many reasons.
Very interesting guys.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan
Learned the "almost finished" lessone back in Prague, when I almost had to go to court to even sell it after a year of harassment... não, obrigado.
Doesn't sound like fun. Sorry that happened to you.
Use tradesman not handymen and you won’t have a problem.
Private health service is fantastic and very affordable.
Common sense makes for an easy life.
Thanks for sharing
Hi Alan. So you guys already living in Madeira for 2 years? Does that mean you are keeping up with my comment for 2 years already? What a pain...😁 We wish you the best of luck for the new adventure which is finding trustworthy builders.
We are very excited for the next chapter to start. Thanks again.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Parabéns!
Obrigado!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Lovely voice 💖
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. And for your kind words.
Alan
Congratulations!! I can't wait to see the property's transformation! You are all a true inspiration 🎉
Thank you so much!!
We appreciate you coming along with us on our journey.
Obrigado,
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Hello!
We are European citizens and for us will be a little bit easier with formalities.
Just for our curiosity, what was your budget? We have something around 100k €.
Thank you!
Ola didivoicu6984
Our budget was 150.
Thanks for your support.
Have a wonderful day!
Sorry to ruffle feathers but ppl in their 60s should never buy houses.
Rent and keep your options open.
Ownership includes security, and that is
Good for people in their 60s. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Good for you for not being conned because they think you will pay anything for a house!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We think we shopped well.
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Do let us know what you paid. Our family house in Ponta do Sol only got valued at about 40 thousand Euros which is less than the Cheapest tesla in the UK. Im thinking that for that money I might as well pay off my brothers and sisters since one day I might want to return. Are you guys renting at the moment?
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. In time we will disclose the information you requested. Renting until we move in.
Obrigado
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Good luck. What was your budget if you don't mind saying?
Ola! We didn't say. It is a very cost effective location. In the 100's.
I can't believe how bad Portuguese owners let their property get.
Sometimes property is passed on to relatives that don't want it. And then becomes neglected. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
How would one go about obtaining a mortgage before leaving the US in Portugal? I would like to get something that isn't expensive but only needs cosmetic work. It seems like its hard to find contractors to do the work. Is that true?
Bom dia lostcausel
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. You would have to get a mortgage for a vacation house. It would be done here in Portugal, Claudia's team can help you get started to see if it is something you would like. The rates would be a little higher but for us that would have worked out fine. Claudia's email Claudia Ribeiro
As for contractors. We have a good one. We think. Once we have completed our renovation we will let everyone know how it went.
Hope this helps. Have a wonderful day,
Alan
Hi, would you recommend your agent as a trustworthy person after all?
Absolutely!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Hi , thank you for sharing and congratulation for your new home. I am new to your channel so I have a question - How is the cost of living there compared with your life in the US , and why did you chose this island and not a Greece one ?
Ola dovoso,
Great questions. Here is the 'why' video.
We chose Portugal long before we looked at Greece but before we purchased we went to Greece in case we wanted to change our minds.
We also think it is worth looking at the South of France.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
@@ItllBeFun Hi Alan, Thank you , those 3 places sound great , very smart thinking. Enjoy your new home.
Finally... Congrats. So the house you bought has no CO...
Ola minggao,
It's a condo. It is lovely.
Have a wonderful day,
Alan
2 years, and you still can't pronounce bom dia???
Guess not! Thanks for watching!
Congratulations! My wife and I finally made the move to Portugal! We are finalizing our visa with AIMA soon and plan to visit Madeira for the first time, too. We are so excited to be here.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
And congratulations to you, too!
Thanks
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Welcome to Portugal. Have fun!!!
Obrigado
🎉 enjoy your new abode for many many years to come! (Interested to see the place after you move in)
Certainly you had quite a journey to get to this place and inspiring to see how well you approached all the hurdles.
All the best!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We can hardly wait to see what it is to become. We will be very happy.
Thanks again
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Hi Guys.i married a lady from Funchal.we are in the UK at the moment. Be interesting to know if you will be joining a US social group as i believe there are many Us citizens relocating to Maderia.
Ola stone,
No. We meet new people everyday that are from all over. It is really nice that way.
Thanks for your support.
Have a nice day,
Alan
Have a great time..enjoy the lovely weather and people. i hope one day to settle there for my retirement.@@ItllBeFun
Hopefully we will meet you when you visit in the future!
What is the new expats killer tax bill on property in Portugal and or Spain? Anyone know what the details?
Portugal NHR is slated to go away.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel
Is buying a house in Madeira worth it?
To us, yes.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel
Allen, Leslie, Wolfie, congratulations in this exciting purchase. Getting better and better. So happy for you😃👏
Thanks for your kind words, and for the continued support of our channel!
We have a home!!
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations! Very excited for your family. I was on Madeira at the end of October for a week and now can understand why you love it so much ❤️
Bom dia Carol
Muito Obrigado. Thanks you for sharing our journey. Look us up the next time you are here.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
Hi. But what is the price? This is the most important question.
Ola mmamommamo
For our condo we have not shared the cost. Once renovations are completed we will let you know how everything worked out.
Euro?
good for you. I am a local and I cannot afford to buy one :)
Obrigado. You will.
Alan: curious to understand: do you maintain Medicare coverage for health insurance?
Just the free part "A".
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel
Alan
How much would cost a 3 bedroom house in protugal?
Olá! We are glad you are here. Your question is difficult to answer. The style, condition, size and area a 3 bedroom house will be very different based upon your needs. Here in Madeira in a neighborhood you may find a 3 bedroom for 450k and another right door for 2m.
Sorry. But if you contact Claudia our real estate agent +351 967 440 896 she can help you with finding something for you.
Hope this helps.
Alan
Patience and perseverance get it done! I hope you, Leslie, Wolf, and Greer have many happy years in your new home!
Thanks Chris for your support. Our new home will be awesome!
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Parabéns, sejam felizes em Sta. Cruz...Terra Verde!!
Bom dia! Muito Obrigado!
Congratulations goes to you, Leslie and Wolf. Hard work and patience goes long ways. Again, congratulations!
Thanks for your kind words. And thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
But I thought Madeira was EXPENSIVE compared to the mainland and you guys are on an extreme budget. That is why I'm looking at central Portugal, am I wrong? Are there affordable places on Madeira??
Ola Lilly
Central Portugal is cheaper than Madeira.
You can find places in Madeira it just depends on your price range, your needs and you must have patience.
Merry Christmas!
I had originally given this vlog the thumbs up! However halfway through I had to remove it and by the end gave it thumbs down due to not providing prices of properties and offered so I found this somewhat shifty😅
Just like something a real estate person would do!
We are sorry to not provide you with the cost of our house Oscarellis. Thank you watching and supporting our channel.
Congratulations! I hope the rest of the remodeling will go well. Not sure how the stairwell is going to be properly done. Should be interesting. My husband Sam and I are handling the paperwork in order to retire to Portugal in the Summer of 2024. However, we are in a major limbo as to what to do since it appears the NHR may no longer be available. I cannot see us paying that much in taxes in addition to what we are paying in the USA. I will be officially retired in June and hoping to be in Portugal in July. Otherwise, we may have to look into Italy, Spain or Greece. However, I do love Portugal. Sam and I have enjoyed so much watching your videos the last two years. Congrats again to you and your family.
Ola Guys,
Thank you for your support. There are some options, understanding the USA tax law and deductions that you may qualify for. We reccomend that you contact a US EXPAT tax attorney as well as a Portuguese one. We highly recommend our Portuguese tax attorney and you can set up a video call now. That way you can start understanding how you may or may not be able to get your funds in line and still move to Portugal. Her contact is listed on our vendor listing which is available on our Patreon www.patreon.com/itllbefun as well as on our website www.itllbefunretirement.com
We have a free video live stream about Buying and Renting Real Estate on the 16th and a free video live stream on the 20th about Planning Your Move Overseas.
Both are at 7pm Madeira island time with all details listed in our Patreon.
Link for the 16th click here meet.google.com/gfz-ahty-rpi
Link for the 20th click here meet.google.com/cdq-ijdp-avt
We hope you will join us.
Have a wonderful day,
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
We had very similar experiences in Croatia, including giving an offer and receiving a counter offer at 25% above asking. We declined and moved on. That was 2 years ago and the property has not sold to this day.
Yeah, don't know what they were thinking. Oh well, we found the right one.
Obrigado
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Wish that so many Americans and Canadian would have walked away from houses that where way to expensive for them and know stuck in a night mare .
You where mend to find your dream even if it was a long journey .
Happy for you.
Ola Evelin,
Yes we are happy we waited until the right thing came along.
4:31 the offer was rejected because you came with your own real estate agent, which means the selling agent needs to split the margin 50/50. It's common to be ignored if you come with your own real estate agent.
Business is Business. And having an agent that is not working for you is a very bad decision. But to each his own my friend.
Just wish people wouldn’t use the terminology ‘our forever home’,which rarely turns out to be that….such a cliche’…but glad to see you enjoying life.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel. We will be happy in our new place....until the next new place.
Such is life.
Thanks
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Great news. Good luck with the work fixing it up.
Sounds like the supply is much lower than somewhere like Spain. I've been looking in Spain has a lot of new construction contemporary style houses. I don't know Portugal well but it seems like everyone's greedy trying to get rich. 🙃
Ola Basic Beach Community
Thanks for sharing.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
Lived and worked on the Island 2005/06. I remember the famous tethered balloon on Funchal sea front. I looked at property back then. All seemed well constructed. You appear to have bought a 20 year old resale. Or bank repossession. Normal a new old property as you mentioned time warp 20 years old. About the time I was there! Good luck. It's a beautiful island
We feel good about our purchase, and look forward to moving in. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations on your lovely new home, Alan, Leslie, and Wolf! I think you made a wise decision to purchase a 20-year-old apartment that needs finishing as opposed to a total fixer upper. Everything is looking up for you all as you have another 8 years to go of NHR tax breaks. The one thing I was wondering is what will Wolf do once he turns 26 years old? Will he have to return to the U.S. or will he assume control of It'll Be Fun, LLC and apply for a D8 visa for himself?
That certainly is an option for Wolf, and one we are considering. Thanks for your kind words. And thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan
Congratulations at buying your new home! It isn't always easy adjusting to new environments. People don't always act as you expect them to, as your attempts to buy property show. The most important attribute in such a situation is not determination, but patience. I think you were correct to walk away from the uncomfortable property purchase situations you described. Unfortunately, greed is everywhere.
It takes time to mentally adjust to living in a new country. As I have said before, we moved from Canada to Norway in 1980. As foreigners, some practices seem strange at first, but after a few years one learns to accept, and then to adapt. From my perspective, the first mistake many immigrants make is an unwillingness to accept that rules and circumstances are different. They are offended to learn that, as foreigners, they may not be eligible for the same benefits granted to citizens. It took us years to save up enough to afford a down payment.
We lived in three different places in Norway. Five years in one location, three in another almost 1 000 km further north. Then we moved about 600 km south, to where we live now, which is almost 400 km north of our first location. We have only owned one house. We rented a smaller cabin beside this house at first, when I celebrated my 40th birthday, in 1988. Then, six months later we rented this larger house. A year after that the owner died, and we bought it from his estate some months after that. The house was built in 1963. When built the maximum allowed house size was 100 square meters, on the main floor. Ours was 90. When rules relaxed, a new owner added an extra 15 square meters.
Mortgage interest rates at the beginning of the 1990s were almost 15%. It was expedient for us to pay off our mortgage as quickly as possible. It took us five years, and in that time we paid almost as much in interest as we did on the principal. After that, whenever something needed to be done, we would save up first. I have done most of the construction work myself, not just to save money, but because I enjoy building construction.
The latest change has been the kitchen. For the first time in our lives, and at 75 years of age, we have modern appliances, including an induction cooktop and a dishwasher. Yet, what I appreciate most about the remodelled kitchen is its brightness, especially the yellow linoleum flooring. This is important because in winter, we can have over 20 hours of darkness.
I have visited Portugal four times, including two work related trips. We discussed moving to Madeira, when we retired at the end of 2016 (just after I turned 68). We realized on this first trip as retirees, in 2017, that we would not be able to adjust to another completely different system. It took us years to accept how things worked in Norway. We decided that it was more comfortable, emotionally, to put up with the winter cold and darkness, than to adjust to something different.
Ola Brock,
We love your the stories about your life and experiences. Thank you for sharing. Aren't we glad that mortgage rates haven't gone back to 15%. The young people all over the world are already terrified of 6&7% rates. We are glad they don't have to tell stories about their first mortgage rate being 15%.
The remodeled kitchen sounds great! It can sometimes be different in a new country but to your point it is best to understand that different does not mean bad.
Have a wonderful day,
Alan and Leslie
So happy for the both of you. CONGRATULATIONS let the games begin. Can’t wait to see your place when it’s all done. BTW how is your progression with Portuguese coming along? All the best and Happy Thanksgiving……🤗🇨🇦
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel . And for your kind words. Our new place will be awesome!
We need to buckle down and do better with Portuguese lessons.
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations Allan, Leslie, and Wolf from Alex and Sheila in Canada! We're very happy for you. It looks fantastic!
Thanks!
And thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Great purchase Guys. !00 meters away from one of the best beaches on Madeira... And 100 meters away from the airport. Great find and i hope the remo goes as planned. Soon you'll be living in your own space confortably. Waiting for the open day tour/video... 😀
Thanks Mike for watching and supporting our channel. We think it is an amazing little town. We will keep making videos to show the progress.
Thanks again
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
I'm from Madeira from Santa Cruz where my mother still lives road that goes up to Santo da Serra road up airport . I live many years in UK from 1999 until 2018/19 and I did return back to Portugal where after many trying to find a house I bought one in Sintra centre. And I'm very happy for you that manage to buy a house in Madeira enjoy the new house and the island . Best wishes and all the best .🥰🥰 Bem vindo a Santa Cruz
Thanks for sharing your experiences. And for watching and supporting our channel. It's a nice place.
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Santa Cruz, good place, nice beach, near the airport and via rápida. Not to far from Funchal. Glad to see that You are staying in Portugal. I was already thinking that you were moving to Greece or Italy 😂
Ola MR0000
Thanks. We are glad we get to stay as well. We were worried we would not find anything in our price range.
Thanks for your support.
Have a wonderful day,
Alan
Great video! Congratulations, my main concern in Madeira would be the difficult airplane landings that Madeira is famous for. How was your experience landing in Madeira?
Ola LIMUBAI
Thank you! We always here about people saying the landings are difficult. We have never had an issue and love the views when the plane comes in. It is all part of the adventure!
Thanks for watching.
Have a wonderful day,
Alan
i was born in santana, madeira
Santana is a nice place. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
We love Madeira. People are super courteous and friendly. The atmosphere is quite the opposite from the states and people were not hustling and bustling
We completely agree with you. It is truly wonderful here.
Lived at Lajes Field on Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal. Loved it there. No one wanted to go there but once there no one wanted to leave. The Portuguese people are great!!! Also visited San Miguel Island in the Azores and Lisbon twice. Could see myself living in the Azores or Portugal. Have never made it to Madeira however.
Bom dia WACATX767882
Sounds like you have wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing. If you ever get the chance Madeira will not disappoint.
Have a wonderful day
Alan
Always heard good things about Madeira Island. Is a car necessary or is there good public transportation for tourists who prefer to not drive? Obrigado in advance
We have several friends who only use public transportation. I love to drive, and must have a car.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan
hi i am watching in milwaukee! excited to see your journey!! thank you for the beautiful documentation of your experiences
Hello Wisconsin! Hope you are staying warm up there.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Yes, its very difficult to find something affordable that is not moldy or a ruin. I am closing in a few weeks on my condo in Canico. Am very excited.
It is exciting, indeed. We are very happy.
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Did I understand you are financing the purchase or are you all cash? You are my age and I was told financing at our age in Portugal was not going to fly.
It was a cash auction and purchase. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.
Alan, Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations you guys!!! What wonderful and exciting news on long journey. Dea and I can't wait to hear more about your new home on Monday at Hoya Hoya!! Congrats again, Al&Dea Marcano
Thanks for the continued support of our channel.
See you very soon!
Alan,Leslie and Wolf
Congratulations you guys! It sure must be an interesting journey being a US realtor and watching how it is done in another country. I'm a broker here in the US and I am navigating the real estate market in Romania. I can either let it frustrate me or I can simply relax and enjoy the new experience. I have chosen to have fun with it!!
That's the best way!
Thanks for watching and supporting our channel
Alan